Trunk.



W.v R. ROBERTS.

vvTRUNK. APPLICATION FILED MA Y31, 1913.

K Patented May 18, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

,Navasa a @fum fvwm 8N 7 Z0@ i# i w M .e w @Y .l .y t w THE NORIS PETERS CCL, FHOTYLLTHO.. WASHINGTON. D. C

W. R. ROBERTS.

nunk. APPLICATION FILED MAY 31| |913.

1,139,726. Patented May 18, 1915.'

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2."

/77 Ton/vf):

THE NORRIS PETERS CO.. PHOTO-LITHO.. WASHINGTON. D. C. l

WILBERT RaROBERTS, OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA.

TRUN

specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 31, 1913. Serial Noi 770,971,

To aZZ whom it may concern Be it known that I, l/VILBERT R. ROBERTS, ka citizen of the United States, residing at South Bend, in the county of St. Joseph and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trunks, of which the following is a specification. c

The invention relates generally to an iinprovement in trunks, and particularly to a body frame for receiving and supporting the sidey and end pieces of the trunk, the said body frame being formed to present integral sections intertting betweeny the adjacent edges of the sides and ends, to utilize the frame as a direct support for the trunk and its contents in all positions of the trunk.

The main object of the present invention is the provision of a body frame for a trunk or similar structure in which all edge strips,

both horizontal and vertical, arerabbeted to present projecting portions to interiit be-k tween the adjacent edges of the sides and ends of the trunk, the proximate surfaces of said projecting portions lying iiushwith ,the

sides and ends,so that in effect the body frame structure forms in part, particularly at the corner edges, the sides and ends of the trunk.

The invention in its preferred `formof details will be described in the following speciiication, reference being had particularly to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the improved body frame. vFig. 2 is a top plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the frame with the side and end strips in place, a portion of one of the inner lining strips being shown. Fig. 4 is a broken vertical section through the improved frame showing the end piece of the trunk in place.

Fig. 5 is a broken perspective detail showing a corner of the completed article. Fig. 6 is a broken horizontal sectionV illustrating the application of the side and end pieces to the upright of the frame.

The improved body frame comprises an upper rectangular frame 1 including side and end strips 2 and 3, each of appropriate length for the size of the desired structure,

5o a lower rectangular frame 4 corresponding in size to that of the upper frame and including sides and end strips 5 and 6, and uprights 7 connecting the upper and lower frames at the corners, the kwhole forming a skeleton rectangular structure having the desired length, breadth and height.

the uprights and the end The side and end pieces of the upper frame are of duplicate structure, being each undercut throughout their lengths to provide projecting ledges 8 throughout the upper portion of the outer surfaces of said strips, thereby providing shoulders 9, equal in thickness to` and designed for the reception of the upper edges of the side and end pieces of the trunk, aswill later appear'.

The side and end strips 5 and 6 of the lower frame, are of identical construction, being rabbeted on their relatively outer and lower surfaces to forin, with respect to the particular piece, lower and outer lips 10 and 11, providing shoulders 12 and 13 to receive the edges of the sides and bottom of the trunk, as will later appear.

The uprights 7 are of identical formation, being rabbeted on their relatively outer surfaces to. provide vlips 14 and 15 forming shoulders `16 and 17, toreceive the side and end pieces of the trunk.

The lower frame, as well as the .side frames, formed by they uprights and the side pieces of the respective upper and lower frames, and also the end frames formed by y pieces of the upper and lower frame, are Vbraced byV diagonally arranged strips 18, provided in pairs for each of the mentioned frames, and centrally interfitting, so that the appropriate surfaces of the brace strips lie flush with the inner surfaces and base surfacesfof the rabbeted portions of each of the frame, strips and uprights, whereby the brace strips form a support for the end pieces, side pieces, and lining sections of the trunk.

In securing the side pieces 19 in place,

they are interfitted between the ledges 8 of` the side strips 2 of the upper frame, the ledges 10 ofthe side strips 5 :of the lower frame and the ledges 14 of thefuprights, the marginal edges of the side pieces bearing snugly against the shoulders 9, 12 andV 16. The end pieces 20 of the trunk interfit between the ledges 8 of the end pieces 3 of the upper frame, the ledges 10 of the end pieces 6 of the lower frame, and the lips 15 of the uprights 7, the marginal edges of the end pieces 20 bearing snugly against the shoulders 9, l2 and 17. The bottom piece (not shown) of the trunk interts between the lips or ledges 1l of the side and end pieces 5 and 6 of the lower frame, bearing snugly against the shoulders 13.

The sides and ends, as also the bottom,

Patented May is, 19115.V

bottom,

ioo

Yso

i V :stituting the main variation from 'such-body structure.

, overlie andf bear against the outer 'surfaces' of the respective braces 18, whereby to further reinforce said parts;

The lining sections 2l are secured on the inner sides of the respective frames, the inner surfaces of the strips composing which, are `flushed throughout with each other and with the inner surfaces ofthe bracestrips, thereby aording a firm support for the lining section. v

f Subsequent to the application 'ofy van ornamentalcovering, if such is used, the cornersVVV formedk at the juncture of the uprights with the respective upper and lower frames are preferably protected by the usual metal corner pieces 22, as shown in Fig. 5.

By the improved construction it will be" of the sides, ends andbottom, usually madev of veneer.

- While I haveshown the-body only ofthe trunk, in 4the accompanying illustration, itV is tojbe'understood that I contemplate the. formation'of the usual trunk topinV a :man-v ner vsimilar to that4 described" for the body,`

the proportions of the variousparts conl; A ftrunkincluding an upper Yrecta-nguf lar frame `comprisingsi'de and end strips,

each of said-stripsbeing rabbeted on lthe'` Y Copies of this:patentsinayrbeiobtined .for

outer surface to present an upper ledge, a lower rectangular frame comprising side and' end'strips, each` lof said strips being rabbeted on the outer and lower surfaces vto form lower and outer ledges respectively,

and uprights connecting the frames, said.A

uprights being rabbeted on the relatively kouter surfaces thereof to present outer lips for coperation respectively with the lips of the side strips of theupper and ylower frames and with the end strips of the upper and lower iframes, theV side :and end strips of the -respectiveframes and .the uprights havingk their rabbeted portions equal in length to the full length lof the respective strips andk uprights, the meeting ends of the stripsv and uprights providing a square abutting edge of the full surface of the strip or upright beyond the rabbeted portion.

2. A trunk including an upper rectangular frame comprising `side and end strips, each of said strips being rabbeted on the outer surfaces to` present an upper ledge, a lower rectangular frame comprising v side and end strips, each of said strips being rabbeted n on the outer lower surfaces to form' lower and outer ledges respectively, uprights connecting the frames, and brace strips diagonally connected to said'frame strips, v:each of saidbrace strips having a width equal to the similar dimen' sions of the side'andend strips beyond the rabbetedpor'tion thereof, whereby'the rrespective side surfaces'ofthe bracestrips aline with theouter surfaces Vofthe frame portions.

Y In testimony whereof I'afliXmysi-gnature in presence of two witnesses. f Y A wlLBnrrr noRoBnnrs.

Witnesses: A

' VClins. A; VHAGER'LY,YV

GEORGE J. OL'rso'H.

Vivei'ze'rif'as. each,n.byfaddressngf the Commissioner cfa Iiatents, f Washington',fD.-C.. y 

